EDUCATION

• Bachelors of Arts (Kannada, History, Music), Mysore University


• Master of Arts (Music), Mysore University


• Vidwat (Music), Government of Karnataka
  
  
• Post-Graduate Diploma in Music, Government of Tamil Nadu

PROFESSION

Visiting Professor, Department of Music, Bangalore University.

GRADE

“A TOP” artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan.

SISHYAVRITTI AND TUTELAGE

Nagamani was fortunate to have been trained under the Gurukula system by “Musician of Musicians”, Ramnad Krishnan in Madras. Ramnad Krishnan was one of the most revered exponents of Carnatic music. He was an institution by himself, with impeccable mastery over both lakshya and lakshana. Having been under his constant guidance and supervision, she imbibed much of his vast knowledge and unique style in a short span of time. Maestros like TR Mahalingam, Palghat Mani Iyer, Brinda, Mukta, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Shammangudi Srinivas Iyer, were regular visitors to the Krishnan home. Their viewpoints and discussions about the intricacies of music enriched Nagamani’s knowledge and have had a huge impact on her style.

During the same time, while pursuing higher studies at the Madras Carnatic Music College she had the privilege to learn the nuances of music from KV Narayana Swamy, Brinda, Mukta and TM Tyagarajan in their respective specialties.

Teachers like Arkere Narayan Rao, Vishweshvaran, Ramaratnam, and Gowri Kuppaswamy also enriched her find of cognizance. All this tutoring led her to develop a unique style and she is referred to as“Combination of great masters”.

PERFORMANCES

Nagamani’s vibrant melodious voice, discerning bias for shruti, revealing manodharma blended with orthodoxy, vividly cogent “tala”, artistry to communicate rasa in all aspects of cutcheri art covering raga alapana, song rendition, neraval and swara singing, the unusual combination of extraordinary birka felicity with the silken Carnatic music asaivu and gamaka graces make each of her concerts a unique experience. Rendition of rare traditional and difficult ragas, ragam tanam pallavis in complex talas, self tuned Haridasa compositions, bhajans, slokas, tillanas are the special characteristics of her concerts.

Nagamani has performed in almost all the prestigious sabhas along the length and breadth of India. Her performances across the globe include those in Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Hong-Kong, and Singapore. Her concerts have graced many national and international festivals and conferences.

TEACHER

Nagamani is a teacher par excellence and has more than three decades of experience in the art of teaching. As the Professor and Head of the departments of music at Maharani’s Arts College at Mysore and Bangalore, and as the guru and mentor for a number of musicians, she has trained a generation of aspiring musicians. Many of her students are “A” grade artistes of national and international repute. She is well known for promoting her students in the field of music by providing them with opportunities to lend vocal support in many of her prestigious concerts and participate in musical features.

She is actively involved in teaching music to students across the globe via the internet. Presently she has a number of students in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong-Kong enrolled in her online classes. She has also conducted numerous lecture demonstrations and music workshops to train music teachers in methodologies of teaching.

DIRECTOR

Nagamani has directed many theme-based features that have an exquisite blend of “Sangeeta, Nrutya and Nataka”. Each feature has over 30 performers from the fields of music, dance and drama. “Haridasa Spandana” and “Haridasa Deepti” based on Haridasa compositions, “Bhakti Kampana” on Vachana Sahitya, “Tyagaraja Vaibhava” on Tyagaraja compositions, “Sanathana Saarathi” a multi-linguistic feature on Lord Krishna, “Sahyadri Inda Chamundiya Varage” on the complete works of rashtrakavi Kuvempu, “Kavi Kavya Deepti” a magnum opus of a ten centuries of Kannada literature, “Karnataka Vaibhava” on the heritage of Karnataka state are some of her popular features.

MUSICAL- DRAMA

Nagamani has directed and enacted in musical dramas. She has played the leading roles in epics like" Raja Harischandra", "Kunti- Karna", and "Ramayana".

PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR

She is the director and producer of a 13 episode popular tele-serial “Mysore composers” that was telecast on Doordarshan’s national network.


AUTHOR

She has authored profound articles and treatises on music themes. She has published extensively with some of her notable books being those on Shamashastri, Veena Kuppaiyer and Thiruvatiyur Tyagaiyer

COMPOSER

Nagamani has composed numerous varnas, tillanas and kritis in rare and difficult ragas. She has more than 200 compositions in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Sanskrit to her credit. Many musicians render her compositions and many dancers have choreographed for her tillanas.

MEMBERSHIPS AND POSITIONS HELD

• Organising member, Dasara Cultural committee, Government of Karnataka
• Governing body member, South Central Cultural Centre
• Founder, Sunada Cultural Centre, Mysore
  
• Committee member, Sangeeta Nrutya Academy, Government of Karnataka
• Jury- Central auditions board- All India Radio
• Expert committee member, Ganakala Parishad
• Member of Board of studies, Bangalore, Mysore and Kerala Universities